Personal watercraft, such as jet skis, are becoming more and more popular. A personal watercraft is essentially a small motorized boat. The operator straddles a seat that extends parallel to the boat's keel. Two people can be accommodated by sitting tandem on the seat.
Operators of personal watercraft often wish to utilize their watercraft for activities other than just tiding. For example, a personal watercraft can pull a water skier. Also, the operator may wish to bring along food and drink and other equipment. Unfortunately, other than a seat for the operator and passenger, a personal watercraft has very little storage capacity.
Thus, it is desirable to increase the carrying capacity of a personal watercraft.
In the prior art, several towable floating accessories have been made. Doherty, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,119,752 and Des. U.S. Pat. No. 325,020 disclose a sled that is trailed behind a personal watercraft. The accessory has a rigid hull. One disadvantage is that the prior art sled is heavy and bulky and is therefore difficult to carry.
Another disadvantage is that use of the prior art sled requires a trailer hitch located on the stern of the towing personal watercraft. The stern of the personal watercraft is frequently used to board the personal watercraft from the water, when the sled is not in use. However, the trailer hitch makes stern boarding difficult.
Still another disadvantage is that the coupling between the prior art sled and the personal watercraft is rigid. The sled moves across the water in a manner that is somewhat independent of the movement of the personal watercraft. This puts strain on the stern of the personal watercraft and makes control of the personal watercraft difficult to accomplish, especially in rough water. Some operators report that at times, the sled begins to hop behind the personal watercraft. This causes discomfort in operating the watercraft.
Still another prior an sled is called the Aquasled and resembles the sled of Doherty. The towing arm of the Aquasled has a swivel that allows the sled to move more flexibly with respect to the sled. Unfortunately, the Aquasled sometimes turns completely over in the water.